This application represents a competitive renewal of a K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in Eating and Weight Disorders. Dr. Grilo is seeking a renewal of the K24 Award in order to relieve him from administrative and clinical duties to ensure protected time to continue to: (1) focus on clinical- research to improve treatment methods for eating/weight disorders; (2) develop advanced research skills needed to enhance further his effectiveness both as a researcher and as a mentor in order to positively impact the next generation of treatment methods and researchers; and (3) mentor postdoctoral clinical researchers and junior faculty in the area of obesity and disordered eating needed to address these growing major public health problems. During the initial funded period, Dr. Grilo completed three RCTs, obtained new funding as PI on two R01s from the NIH and a Foundation Grant to perform RCTs for obese patients with disordered eating in diverse settings, and as co-Investigator on several NIH grants. During the initial K24, Dr. Grilo published 110 peer-reviewed research papers, mentored 20 trainees or junior faculty, mentored six successful NIH Loan Repayment Program applications, and mentored or co-mentored five funded K23 Career Development Awards. A renewal award will allow Dr. Grilo to increase further his integrated research and mentoring activities. Among the on-going studies that will allow for intensive mentoring include a RCT testing a stepped care approach to a standard behavioral weight loss treatment for obese patients with binge eating disorder (R01 DK49587) and a RCT testing cognitive behavioral therapy via self-help and pharmacotherapy, alone and in combination, in obese patients with binge eating disorder in generalist primary care settings (R01 DK073542). A renewal award will allow Dr. Grilo to perform pilot fMRI investigations of neural activation during cognitive control tasks and reward processing in obese patients with binge eating disorder. A renewal award will also allow Dr. Grilo to advance further his scientific capabilities and he has secured the collaboration of internationally-recognized expert consultants in obesity, eating disorders, treatment methods, biostatistics, and neurobiological research. Dr. Grilo's program is integrated with other clinical-research and training programs (e.g., CTSA) at Yale which collectively offer ample opportunities and resources. Dr. Grilo will continue to support and facilitate the advancement of postdoctoral and junior faculty clinical-researchers in eating/weight disorders via intensive mentoring geared towards completing research projects, publishing studies, and successfully obtaining career development (e.g., K23) and research grant support. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This application represents a competitive renewal of a K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in Eating and Weight Disorders. The renewal award will provide the candidate up to 50% effort for each of the next five years to continue his clinical-research focused on improving treatment methods for eating/weight disorders and to expand further his mentoring of postdoctoral and junior faculty researchers needed to address these growing major public health problems.